Cluster lamp socket



June 8, 1954 IA. o. BOUTELLE 2,680,841

CLUSTER LAMP SOCKET Filed Aug. 29, 1949 s sheets-sheet 1 rlngmww E wu Z4 o lun 55 24 'g zo 50 "Z 2@ 46 y f 34 'n..f-f-lllll 4L I;

20 9 MET- M 26 /5 3 mveNrol HAAEM oureu fj l/'' mammrwa AvvoeNs-lS June 8, 1954 A. o. BOUTELLE 2,680,841

CLUSTER LAMP SOCKET Filed Aug. 29, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .FJo ,Eg .12

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,QLLEN O. 5mn-ELLE A-r'ro RN ENS June 8, 1954 A, Q BQUTELLE 2,680,841

CLUSTER LAMP SOCKET Filed Aug. 29, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 mviufog j .30 ALLEN 0. @carene AT1-amil Patented June 8, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT' OFFICE CLUSTER LAMP SOCKET Wall'e Application August 29, 1949, Serial No. 112,921

13 Claims. l

This invention relates to a cluster lamp socket.

An object of the invention is to provide a multiple lamp socket cluster having the several socketsv so arranged. with respect to a common axis as to concentrate into a` confined space the several lamps screwed into the sockets. In this connection it is an object of the invention to dispose the respective lamp sockets in an arcuate series with their axes tangentially disposed with respect to a common. circle drawn around a cen tral mounting support, and in this manner to make the most effective. use of the space adjacent the support.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple lamp socket cluster having the individual lamp sockets so geometrically arranged that common contact elements of opposite polarity may be positioned in a central cavity within the cluster and may have contact arms leading along direct routes to the individual sockets.

A further object of the invention is to provide a multiple lamp socket cluster wherein the multiple contact elements may be each fabricated from the same form of original stamping, thus simplifying the manufacture of the cluster and reducing the number of machines and labor requiredl for its manufacture.

Another object of thev invention is'. to provide a lamp socket cluster having mating parts which form a central cavity when the partsare mated to provide a chamber for housing the contacts. It is a further obj ect of the invention to provide a common divider block disposed' between the respective Contact elements.v of the invention it is an object to provide the divider block with oppositely disposed guide projections engageable with the contacts andr with the mating housing members to confine the contacts in operable positions' and denne the mated position of the members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lamp socket cluster having fixture mounting means spaced at opposite sides of the cluster to` provide for properly spacing light bulbs from the f xture shade, and which combine with the cluster to present an independent cluster unit readily adapted for use in a variety of lighting fixtures.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cluster lamp socket with paired common cony In. one. embodiment 2 the invention may cooperate with a conventional negative contact shellV connected to the negative set of said contact armsl to make such electrical contact.

Other objects of the invention are to reduce the amount of housing material and the number of independent parts required to fabricate a clustered lamp socket, thereby reducing the time consumed in its manufacture; and toprovide a design of such simplicity as to reduce the cost of the ultimate product.

Other objects will be more apparent to one skilled in the art upon an'examinaton of the following disclosure.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a lamp xture including a lamp socket cluster embodying the invention, portions of the bowl being cut away to expose the cluster to illustrate a use thereof.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a plastic embodiment of the assembled clusterl with portions cut away to show details of inner construction.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the assembled plastic cluster.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a pian View of one of the mating members of the plastic cluster showing the inner web construction forming the walls and socket compartments.

Fig. '7 is a plan View of the other plastic mating member of the socket cluster showing its inner web construction complementary to that shown in-Fig. 6.

Fig. s is a plan view of one of the multi-armed spring contacts.

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the contact shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a dielectric spacing block used within the cluster.

Fig. 11 is a sideY elevational View of the block shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the other multi-armed spring contact.

Fig. 13 is a side elevational view of the contact shown in Fig. l2.

Fig. 14 is a flattened plan view ofthe bronze contact blank prior to operations which form it into either of the specic shapes shown in Figs. 8 or 12.

Fig. 15 is a plan view of one of the mating members of a porcelain embodiment of the invention showing the inner web construction with removable metal shells positioned in the sockets.

Fig. 16 is a plan view of the other mating porcelain member showing its inner web construction complementary to that shown in Fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a side elevational view of the assembled porcelain cluster with portions of a mounting sleeve broken away to show thread construction.

Fig. 18 is a plan view of a multi-armed contact element with integral screw base shells carried at the arm ends.

Fig. 19 is a cross sectional view taken along the line I9-I9 of Fig. l5.

Fig. 20 is a cross section taken along the broken line 2li-2e of Fig. 15.

By way of exemplirlcation the invention is shown as applied to a cluster with rive sockets, to which it is particularly suited. The invention, however, is applicable to any multiple socketed cluster of the general shape illustrated in the drawings. While various materials are suitable both porcelain and synthetic resin or plastic have been used as housing material, and the construction of the cluster may vary somewhat as is illustrated in the drawings. A plastic embodiment is shown generally in Figs. 1 to 7, and a porcelain embodiment is shown generally in Figs. 15 to 2o. As the construction is essentially the same in both embodiments the description will proceed with particular reference to the plastic embodiment However, important features of the porcelain embodiment will be pointed out when appropriate.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the cluster housing is preferably formed by joining half sections or members i8 and I9 along a plane common to the axes of the sockets. The individual mating sections I 8 and I9 are best shown in Figs. '7 and 6 respectively, and comprise wall areas moulded therein to form a compartmented interior. The compartments complement each other when the members are mated to produce the individual lamp base sockets 20 and contact recesses or channels as are hereinafter more fully described.

When the sections are mated the cluster comprises an annular co-planar series of sockets 20 having their respective axes disposed substantially tangentially to a common circle drawn about a central axis normal to the common plane of the socket axes. The half sections I8 and I9 are provided with central depressions 2l and 22, respectively, which upon the mating of the half members, together form an interior cavity 23.

The inner walls of the mated sockets are provided with screw threads 24, which may be V moulded into the plastic housing or comprise separable metal shells 'II into which the screw base of a light bulb may be screwed in the position shown in broken lines at 27 in Fig. l. In the case of the plastic housing one side wall of each half socket in the half section I3 may be further provided with a pocket or lateral recess 28 which extends into the threaded wall area and which is adapted to hold the contact arm 34 of Contactl` with the shell apertures I3 to rmly seat the shells against displacement.

The conductor spider or contact element 29 comprises a central star shaped hub portion 33 from which the contact arms 34 project tangentially. As best shown in Fig. 9 the arms 34 are preferably bent or twisted into positions oblique with respect to the plane of the hub 33. Near the ends of each arm 34 are the transverse ribs or corrugations 35 which are of the same pitch as the dielectric screw threads 24 moulded in the plastic socket members IB and I9 and constitute continuation oi such threads across the recesses 28 in which the respective arms are disposed in the assembled cluster. Channels 33 in the housing section I9 receive the arm portions of the contact 29 and securely position the obliquely disposed contact arms 34 carrying the corrugation 35 within the socket pockets 28 in alignment with the threads 2:3. The channels 38 are dened by the spaced webs or abutments 36 moulded in socket member I9 and provide access to the respective sockets at the junction of the socket wall and base, this being a point nearest the central cavity and offset from the socket axis.

The recess 2B is not necessary in the case of the porcelain housing as the separable metal shells 'H comprise the screw threads and the Contact arms 34 may be spot welded o1' otherwise made integral at 'Hi with the respective shells (Fig. 18).

The plastic half section I3 (Fig. 7 i is similarly provided with abutments or walls 39 which are spaced to define channels ll complementary with channels 38 when the sections are mated for the reception of the contact arms Q2 of conductor spider 30 which is shown in Figs. 12 and 13. Conductor 36 comprises a central hub portion 4! and a plurality of arms 42 which are equally spaced arcuately about the hub and extend tangentially in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig.- 12. The ends of these arms are then bent on obliquely transverse lines into planes at right angles to the plane of the hub and extend tangentially in a clockwise direction. When properly disposed within the cluster the ends of arms 42 project centrally across and somewhat outwardly respecting the bases of the several sockets as best shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5. These arms constitute the live central contacts for the lamps inserted in the sockets. Contact arm 42 of the conductor 30 is yieldably biased against the central electrode of the lamp and contact arm 34 of conductor 29 is yieldably biased against the lamp screw base, thereby completing the conventional electric circuit. It is to be noted that the paired contact arms both enter the respective sockets' through the same passageway comprising the mated channels.

Both conductor elements or spiders 29 and 30 are preferably made of resilient spring brass or the like, and are desirably fabricated from the same initial blank or stamping 65 shown in attened plan view in Fig. 14. The blank 65 has a central hub portion 66 with integral arm portions 5l which project from the hub tangential to a circle drawn about the center of the hub and arm extensions 63 which project obliduely from the arms 6'.' upon an oppositely directed tangent to a circle of preferably larger diameter drawn about the center of the hub. The central portion of the spider having the shells '1I connected thereto (Fig. 18) is made from the same blank merely by cutting the terminal portions 3S from the arms and spot welding the stubs 'i5 to the shells In order to position the contact elements 29 and. 3l)v and to insulate and space them from each otherwhen the plastic hal-f sections are mated, and in order to properly orient the respective contact arms in paired relationshipl to the individual lamp sockets, a dielectric spacer. block, shown generally as in Fig. l0, is operatively positioned therebetween. A different forni or" block 16 (Fig. 20) to be hereinafter more fully described is used in the porcelain embodiment. Spacer block 45 is provided at one of its faces with an arcuate series of triangularly shaped projections 46 which loosely t into the channels se of the plastic half section I8 and abut the inner portions'of contact arms 42 of; the conductor 30I so as to wedge the arms againstv the wall 3S in order to securely hold the conductor in position in housing section I3. The opposite face of the spacer block 45 is' provided with projecting nibs 41 having inclined surfaces @il which force the oblique surface of Contact arms Sil or" conductor 29 against the complementary inclined channel 38 of housing section i9.

Electrical current is lcd to the contact elements through insulated Wires, one of which is shown in Figs. 8, 18 and 20 as 53. The Wires may be soldered or otherwise secured to the central hub portions 33 and 4i of the conductors 29 and 3o, respectively, and may be conveniently led into the central portions of the mated cluster through a central hole'fll in housing section i3, or in any other convenient manner.

In the porcelain cluster, where the prefabricated metal shells 1I are preferred over integrally moulded screw threads, the cooperation of the respective shells with the sockets and channels is adequate to hold the conductor spider 11 (Fig. 18) in place. Consequently a simpler form of spacer block 16 is employed between the spider 1l and spider 3l! (spider 30 being identical with that used in the plastic embodiment) The block 16 is in the general shape oi a button having a plane face 8l),l a parallel face of smaller area 88, a cone shaped side 8l, and a central aperture 82 which admits the lead inwire 53. As best shown in Fig. 20` the innermost edges of the compartmenting walls 83 of half section 3l are notched adjacent the mating plane as shown at 84 to provide shoulders 85- cooperating with the inner edges 38 of cornpartmenting Walls 8.1 of half section 32 which act as shoulders parallel withv the shoulders 85 to confine the button 18 therebetween at arcuately spaced points about its periphery.

As is readily seen in Fig. 20 the plane facev 80 of the button block 1e rests on shoulder SB with its parallel face 38 in face contact with the hub portion of contact element or spider 36 to hold the spider in proper position. rlhe block aperture 82 aligns with a central aperture 8S of the spider 3l'i` to provide a through passageway for the lead in Wire 53.

In both embodiments, the assembled mated structure may be held togetherv by an arcuate series of rivets 5i) or the like which are passed through registering holes 5l and 52 in the walls 39 and 3,5 of the mating half sections i8 and i8 respectively. A simplified and convenient means for suspending the clustered: socket from a fixture pendent from the ceiling is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. Substantially identical mounting sleeves are disposed in axial alignment, one of these being at each side of the cluster and each is providedl with a flange 5S whose position is dened by a boss provided on each face or the 5' cluster housing. The plastic clusterl is provided with a circular boss moulded upon the respective half sections comprising the cluster housing upon which the flanges directly rest. The porcelain cluster is provided with a boss 92 providing a central circular depression S3 in which the ilange 5S isr seated. The anges are arcuately apertured to receive the rivets 50 which pass completely through the registering apertures 5| and 52 or the mated housing sections. The heads oi the rivets lap the respective flanges at opposite sides of the cluster to hold the entire as'- sembly in one unitary structure.

Eachmounting sleeve 55 is provided with threads at 51 which come into axial alignment when the caps are positioned on the cluster. As best shown in Fig. 17 the threads are out into inner sleeves marginally connected to the tops of the cap sleeves 55 to be mutually spaced from the housing. The sleeves 94 may compriseva piece of round stock or conventional nut made unitary With the inner surface of the cap sleeve top. One of the cap sleeves 55 may be connected with a depending threaded nipple 58 of a ceiling fixture shown generally as 59 in Fig. 1

forl the support of the cluster and to receive the wiring. The thread of the other sleeve may receive the nipple 62 which suspends a conventional bowl 63 or the like.

The length of the sleeves 55 is desirably made such as to properly space the bulbs from the bowl. In order to prevent the nipple 58 from being turned down far enough to cut the lead in Wires, the threads 51 are upset or otherwise deformed at 95 to provide a stop to prevent passage of the nipple. This construction further provides a rm seat for the nipple and the addition of nut 91 securely holds the cluster against turning on the nipple.

The disclosed cluster marks a departure from cluster sockets heretofore employed which depended for current upon being screwed into another socket.. The present invention is primarily designed to be employed as an independent unit having a variety of uses in association with lighting xtures of a variety of types.

In this manner a cluster of light bulbs 21 may be mounted within the bowl 53 in a compact and convenient manner so as to occupy very little space. The arrangement is of particular convenience when it is desirable to mount several bulbs at a small radius in the same fixture.

The compact assembly of the tangentially disposed sockets requires less material than heretofore required for multiple socket clusters and the entire assembly involves only live elements exclusive of the anged mounting sleeves and rivets.

I claim:

l. In a multiple lamp socket cluster comprising a regular polygonal body in plan, the combination with mating housing sections provided with Walls within said body to partition the mated housing into compartments forming a cavity centered Within said polygonal body, an annular series of sockets, and channels in the Walls leading from said central cavity to the sockets at the junction of the socketA wall and socket base, said sockets having their respective axes disposed tangentially to a circle drawn about the center of said central cavity, of paired conductors of opposite polarity received within the respective housing sections and against the walls thereof', each conductor comprising a common central hub portion,- said hub portions being disposed withinthe central cavity, and a plurality f contact arms leading from said central hub portion through said channels and into the respective sockets, iirst portions of said arms within said cavity being disposed tangentially with respect to a iirst circle drawn about the center of said hub, second portions of said arms within said sockets being joined to the said first portions on bends disposed at the junction of said socket wall and socket base, said second portions being disposed on a second circle coaxial with said iirst circle, the contact arms of one of said conductors having terminal portions disposed against the socket wall and the contact arms of the other of said conductors having terminal portions disposed at the bases of the sockets, and a spa-cer block disposed between the respective conductors, said block being provided with oppositely disposed faces at least one of which is contactable with one of said conductors to position said conductor against the housing.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the spacer block faces comprise projections complementary with the housing wall channels and extend into said channels against the respective contact arms to position said arms in electrical connective contact with lamp base electrodes receivable within the sockets.

3. In a multiple lamp socket cluster the combination with mating housing sections provided with walls moulded therein to partition the mated housing into compartments forming a central cavity, a series of sockets arcuately disposed in tangential position about said central cavity with corresponding corners of said sockets proximate said cavity, and spaced channels in the walls leading from said central cavity to the corners of said sockets, of oppositely polarized superposed spaced conductors, each said conductor comprising a hub portion disposed within the central cavity, arm portions leading tangentially in one direction from said hub portion into said channels and contact extensions leading from said arms tangentially in a diierent direction to positions within the sockets to make contact with the respective electrodes of a lamp base receivable within the socket, the arms and arm extensions of said conductors being joined on bends disposed in said socket corners, the arm extension o one conductor being reversed in direction of tangential extension with respect to the other arm extension whereby said arm extensions project from said corner along angularly related walls of said sockets.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the contact extensions of one of said arms are provided with a twist to dispose each such extension against a socket wall at an oblique angle to the plane of the hub and the extensions of the other of said arms are provided with a twist to dispose each such extension at the base of a socket at substantially a right angle to the plane of the hub.

5. In a multiple lamp socket cluster the combination with mating housing sections provided with walls moulded therein to partition the mated housing into compartments forming a central cavity, a series of sockets arcuately disposed in tangential position about said central cavity with corresponding corners of said sockets proximate said cavity, and spaced channels in the walls leading from said central cavity to the corners of said sockets, of oppositely polarized superposed spaced conductors, each said conductor comprising a hub portion disposed within the central cavity, arm portions leading tangentially in one direction from said hub portion into said channels and contact extensions leading from said arms tangentially in a different direction to positions within the sockets to make contact with the respective electrodes of a lamp base receivable within the socket, corresponding arms and arm extensions of said conductors being reversed in direction of tangential extension whereby to be disposed along angularly related walls of said sockets, said housing being further provided with metal shells mounted against the socket walls and the arm extensions of one conductor are connected with said shells to make contact with said lamp base.

6. The device of claim 3 in further combination with a spacer block disposed within the central cavity between the respective conductors, said block being provided with oppositely disposed projections complementary with the wall channels and in engagement with the respective contact arms.

7. In a multiple lamp socket housing, said housing being provided with walls internally partitioning said housing into arcuately spaced lamp base sockets, a central cavity and channels leading between said cavity and said sockets, said walls adjacent said central. cavity being provided with radial co-planar shoulders, the combination with said housing walls of mutually spaced con-1 ductors of opposite polarity having hub portions disposed within the cavity and contact arms leading from said hub portions through said channels to said sockets in position for electrically conductive contact with the electrodes of a lamp base receivable in the socket, and a divider block in the central cavity between the hub portions of the respective conductors, said divider block being provided with opposed faces, one of which is peripherally supported against said housing wall shoulders and the other of which is in face contact with one of said conductor hubs.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the housing walls adjacent the central cavity are further provided with additional co-planar radial shoulders spaced laterally from said first mentioned shoulders to form an arcuately discontinuous groove, said divider block being confined in said central cavity between said spaced shoulders.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein the housing is provided with metal shells in the sockets, the respective contact arms of one of said conductors being connected to the respective shells and held by said shells out of contact with said divider block.

10. The device of claim 9 in further combination with means for holding said shells in said socket comprising a detent interengaging said shells and said socket walls.

ll. The device o claim 8 wherein the housing comprises mating half sections joined on a plane including the respective socket axes and the shoulders rst mentioned.

l2. In a device of the character described in which a lamp socket supports both lamps and a shield from a pendent xture, the combination with a multiple socket lamp housing, the axes of the respective sockets being disposed in a common plane, of mounting means comprising sleeves positioned at both sides of the housing, and upon an axis substantially normal to the plane of the socket axis, said sleeves being provided with axially aligned threaded portions mutually spaced from said housing to be selectivelyV threaded to said iixture and to a shield mounting bolt,

and threads being substantially identical Whereby said socket lamp housing may be reversed respecting said xture and shield, the respective sleeves being detachable from the housing, each said sleeve being provided with a circular ange and the housing is provided with a circular boss at opposite sides thereof, said boss providing a seat for said sleeve ange.

13. In a device of the character described in which a lamp socket supports both lamps and a shield from a pendent fixture, the combination with a multiple socket lamp housing, the axes oi the respective sockets being disposed in a common plane, of mounting means comprising sleeves positioned at both sides of the housing, and upon an axis substantially normal to the plane of the socket axis, said sleeves being provided with axially aligned threaded portions mutually spaced from said housing to be selectively threaded to said fixture and to a snield mounting bolt, said threads being substantially identical whereby said socket lamp housing may be reversed respecting said fixture and shield, the threads of said sleeves being provided With stop means closest the housing.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 918,202 Schwartz Apr. 13, 1909 1,14,995 Bauer June 22, 1915 1,478,119 Herskovitz Dec. 18, 1923 1,572,905 Strongson Feb. 16, 1926 1,578,437 Herskovitz Mar. 30, 1926 2,131,323 Silberman Oct. 4, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 233,387 Germany Sept. 10, 1913 563,368 France Sept. 24, 1923 

